Press release

 

Rogaška Slatina, May 29, 2024

It has been 30 years since we launched the ŠKL project, and you have been with us throughout this journey. During this time, there have been countless memorable moments: over 1,000 games played across various sports, approximately 850 television broadcasts, and more than 270 hours of live television coverage.

Among the 350,000 young people who participated in the ŠKL project, many have gone on to become renowned athletes, artists, and media personalities. The project has played a significant role in shaping their lives and helping them find their paths. Here are just a few notable names: Dragiša Drobnjak, Jaka Lakovič, Primož Brezec, Erazem Lorbek, Gašper Vidmar, Jure Močnik, Vladko Čančar, Alen Omić, Boštjan Nachbar, Beno Udrih, Jusuf Nurkić, Uroš Slokar, Anja Vilfan, Žana Jereb, Nika Barić, Eva Lisec, Domen Rozman, Matija Pleško, Tine Urnaut, Jan Oblak, and many more.

To mark this special anniversary, we will be hosting the ŠKL Grand Finale on June 1st, featuring the ŠKL “Med dvema ognjema” (Between Two Fires) and ŠKL Tee ball competitions. The event will take place at Lipica under the auspices of Kobilarna Lipica and will bring together over 700 of the best competitors from Slovenian schools. The festivities will begin at 9:00 AM and conclude at 2:00 PM with the presentation of trophies and medals, followed by a performance of Lipizzaner horses for all ŠKL final participants.

Our history has also been captured on film, in the documentary “ŠKL Šport tisočerih obrazov” (Sport of a Thousand Faces), created by our director and former ŠKL participant Toni Cahunek. This film project led to the acquisition of the FICTS license from Milan, enabling us to host the International Sports Film Festival in Slovenia. This year, we are proud to be hosting the festival for the third time in Rogaška Slatina, from June 19th to 22nd.

On this special occasion, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering support and collaboration throughout the ŠKL project. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you, this time in the context of the ISFF festival.

This year’s festival promises to be a vibrant and exciting event. Out of 620 submitted films, the jury has selected 40 to be screened and compete for awards. These films cover a wide range of themes, from athletics to winter sports. One of the most anticipated highlights is the film about the renowned tennis player Nikola Pilić, whom we will also have the honor of hosting in Rogaška Slatina. For this special occasion, his former protégé Novak Djokovic has prepared a pleasant surprise.

At the opening ceremony on June 19th at Anin dvor, we will be presenting awards to filmmakers and sports figures. This year’s recipients include the aforementioned Nikola Pilić for promoting international sports (tennis), Alen Kobilica for promoting sports, Sara Isakovič for her outstanding achievements in swimming, Gorazd Kogoj for his contributions to golf development in Slovenia, Adolf Urnaut for his contributions to the development and promotion of volleyball, Marjan Jemec for his lifetime achievements in sports, Dr. Srečo Zakrajšek for his contributions to school sports and education in the field of multimedia, Franci Pliberšek for his support of sports, Jože Okoren for his contributions to the development of sports for the disabled, and Katja Koren for her outstanding achievements in sports.

The festival will also coincide with the First International Meeting of the new European Gold Wing Motorcyclists Association, the first World and European Cornhole Championships, and the Open Slovenian Championship/ I feel Slovenia in this discipline. In collaboration with the OKS, there will be a mini Olympics on Saturday morning, followed by a Zumba marathon dance event in the afternoon, organized by the Venus tourist association from Rogaška Slatina.

Brief Schedule:

Wednesday, June 19th:

  • Morning film screenings for school children
  • Continued film screenings at the cultural center and on the European Square
  • Opening ceremony at 7:00 PM with the premiere of a Slovenian film about firefighters’ competitions, followed by the presentation of festival awards for achievements in sports and film.

Thursday, June 20th:

  • All-day film screenings at the cultural center, on the European Square, and evening screenings at Hotels Sava and Atlantida
  • The World, European, and Open I feel Slovenia Cornhole Championships will begin and continue until Saturday evening
  • GWRA (Gold Wing) Motorcyclists Association festival

Friday, June 21st:

  • Afternoon and evening film screenings
  • Gold Wing motorcyclists’ light show

Saturday, June 22nd:

  • Film screenings at the cultural center
  • Mini Olympics from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM under the auspices of the Olympic Committee
  • Zumba marathon dance event from 3:00 PM to 7:30 PM, followed by the awarding of prizes to the winning films
  • “Back in time” party with DJ Killy starting at 8:00 PM

Of course, we can’t forget Rogaška Slatina’s newest attraction, the Kristal Tower, the tallest tourist tower in Slovenia, which recently opened its doors and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

A month later, Rogaška Slatina will host the WTT international tennis tournament, organized by the local Rogaška Kristal tennis club under the leadership of Tihomir Ratkajc, in collaboration with the Tennis Association of Slovenia, the municipality of Rogaška Slatina, and the ITF.

For more information about all the events, please visit the website [website address] and follow us on social media:

  • Facebook: @IsffSlovenia
  • Instagram: @IsffSlovenia
  • YouTube: @IsffSlovenia4241

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this exciting event with you!

Vojko Korošec